Ganondorf's Ghost
by The Last Sea Serpent
Summary: A Legend of Zelda adaptation of "The Adventure of a German Student" by Washington Irving


Ganondorf's Ghost

Disclaimer: _all characters, places, and situations (pretty much all proper nouns) recognizable from _Legend of Zelda_ are the property of Nintendo. _The Adventure of a German Student_, of which this fanfic is an adaptation, was first written by Washington Irving around 1824. The only profit I expect to gain from this piece is my own personal enjoyment._

It was a dark and stormy night in the land of Hyrule.

At a crossroads not far from Castle Town; the Red Wolf Inn, a popular watering hole in the best of weather, was filled to capacity with travelers of many species seeking shelter from the wind and rain.

One would expect such a crowded tavern to be alive with singing, laughter, and occasional arguments; and normally it would have been. But the massive storm had shaken everyone's nerves, which made the packed room was as quiet as a tomb.

The bartender found the silence far more unnerving than any weather. Breaking it, he remarked, "It sure is rough out there tonight."

A Rito seated at the bar nodded. "I've heard such storms described as "Demon Dances", with the thunder being the drums and the wind being the flutes." A sudden clap of thunder made everyone jump.

"Demons must be half-deaf then, if this is what they call music." A Human sitting nearby joked, earning a few smiles but no laughs.

"Well it certainly is spooky," the bartender admitted, as lighting lit up the windows of the inn. Getting an idea, he continued, "The perfect weather for telling spooky stories." When meet with no reply, he persisted, "Come on, who here has a story to share?"

A Goron seated in a booth with his buddies offered, "I can tell the tale of The Golden Arm."

"We've all heard that one before." An unseen voice griped.

"Well, does anyone have a better one?" the wounded Goron demanded.

There was a moment of silence, and then someone said "I have."

Everyone turned to the speaker: an older Gerudo clad in a military uniform, whom looked as though she'd seen many battles in her time.

"I can tell you the story of how King Ganondorf finally met his end. And as fantastic as it may sound, I assure you all that it is true."

Once the chorus of approval had faded, she cleared her throat and began.

"Everyone here has probably heard how King Ganondorf used the Triforce of Power to make himself immortal. No matter how many times or how many ways he was defeated, still he refused to die. It got to the point where Met, the Goddess of Death herself, grew tired of it. So she devised a plan to ensnare Ganondorf's soul once and for all."

"That's ridiculous," a Hylian interrupted. "Everyone knows that Met can't just swoop down and end someone's life without a reason. Age, injury, illness…" He shrugged, "Death is just a result."

"That's true, but I assure you that Met found a way." The Gerudo continued. "And if you'll stop interrupting, I will tell you how…"

"Ganondorf began to dream of a Woman; a Gerudo so beautiful that all other females seemed ugly by compare. Obviously, the Gerudo King was not one whose attentions were preoccupied with women, much less an imaginary woman. Yet try as he might to resist, Ganondorf could not help but be fascinated with this vision. It got to the point where she inhabited his thoughts at all hours of the day and night, and his desire for her surpassed even that for the Triforce he so coveted."

"Then, late one night, at the time of the full moon, Ganondorf was walking out in the desert when he suddenly sensed that he was not alone. He looked around, and saw a figure standing on a nearby dune. Even in the darkness, Ganondorf recognized it as a Gerudo. Curious as to what she was doing all alone out in the desert, he called out "Hello?""

"As she turned toward him, a beam of moonlight illuminated her features. Ganondorf froze, astonished."

"She was the woman from his dreams."

"Literally?" A Human asked.

The Gerudo nodded, "Literally."

"If possible, she was even more beautiful in the flesh. Her hair was like spun fire. Her face resembled the finest bronze, shaped by the most skilled of artists. Her eyes were the color of molten gold, though they had a strange look in them: at once empty and wild. As she walked closer to Ganondorf, he saw that she wore the uniform of a foot soldier. She kept her cloak wrapped tightly around herself, though the night was warm. Recognizing her King, she bowed. "You majesty," she greeted him in a voice as lovely as her visage."

"Snapping out of his paralyses, Ganondorf managed to say, "Yes, though I, unfortunately, have not yet had the pleasure of being introduced to you.""

""My name is Izanami, my Lord.""

"At this, Ganondorf's heart-frozen cold for so very long-was pricked with shards of warmth."

""Who is your family?" He was curious to know."

"A peculiar expression crossed Izanami's face, "I have no family. Not anymore.""

""Then where is your home?""

""My only home is in the grave.""

"Obviously, The Gerudo King was deeply alarmed by such talk, but be persisted, "If I could make an offer, you are welcome to come home with me. Din knows I have plenty of space to share.""

"Izanami nodded, and Ganondorf took her hand. It was a strong, nimble hand; hardened with the calluses of battle, but cold as ice."

"Upon returning to his palace, Ganondorf ordered his servants to prepare a room for Izanami. A fire was lit, and the chamber quickly warmed up, but Izanami still kept her body wrapped in her cloak. Late as it was, the Gerudo King found himself making excuses to stay and enjoy her company. The woman spoke little-never explaining why she had been wandering the desert, though she listened attentively. Occasionally, Ganondorf caught Izanami staring at him with an expression akin to hunger."

"He liked that."

"Finally, around Midnight, Ganondorf could no longer contain his emotions. He fell to his knees; confessing of his dreams and professing his undying love to the woman before him."

"Surprised at Ganondorf's revelation, Izanami admitted that she too had been drawn to the Gerudo King by a force she could not explain."

"Upon hearing this, Ganondorf felt pure, hot joy-the likes of which he had never felt before-flow through his veins.'

""Then stay here with me. Rule by my side for all eternity!""

""For all eternity?""

""Yes!" The Gerudo King declared, "My soul is yours forever.""

"Something like triumph flashed in Izanami's eyes, but it passed so quickly that Ganondorf didn't even notice. "Then I am yours, and you are mine," She embraced him. "For all eternity."

"The next morning, Ganondorf woke and stretched luxuriously before turning to look at the woman lying next to him. Still cocooned in her cloak, Izanami looked deeply peaceful."

"Ganondorf touched her shoulder, and when Izanami didn't stir, he shook her. When this second attempt to rouse her failed, Ganondorf placed a finger to her neck and found there was no pulse, no breath."

"In shock and despair, the Gerudo King sent for his aids and advisors. As they entered the room, one of his generals stopped short. "_Izanami?!_"

"Ganondorf rounded on her, "you know this woman?""

"The general's were locked on the corpse, "but she's dead…""

"Ganondorf ground his teeth in frustration, "I am well aware of that fact.""

"I don't mean just now…" The general hesitantly approached the lifeless figure. "That raid I led the other day…Izanami was in it…and she was stabbed and killed." Standing beside the bed, she flung aside Izanami's cloak."

"At the center of her chest, the armor pierced clean through, was a wound. Crusted with dried blood, it was clearly several days old; yet there was no doubt that it went straight through her heart. No one could have survived such an injury."

"The women gasped. Ganondorf howled. He fled the room, and his courtiers chased after him. They followed him all the way to the palace courtyard, but it was too late. For there, lying on the cobblestones was the Gerudo King-his own sword thrust into his chest."

"Several of those present would later swear that they had seen the spectral figure of Met as she stooped to scoop up Ganondorf's soul; cradling it as one might a newborn infant. There was a certain smugness in the Goddesses' gaze, yet also an undeniable pity."

"It's fitting," the Hylian who had interrupted earlier commented, "that the man whose life was built upon hat should meet his death because of love."

The Gerudo finished her tale with,

"There are those who say that Ganondorf was reunited with his love in the Hereafter. There are those who say that he wasn't. Still others speak of a place in the desert where, on nights when the moon is full, one might see the ghostly figures of two Gerudo: walking side-by-side across the shifting sands."

The tavern was silent for a moment, then one of the Gorons inquired, "you claim this story is true…how do know?"

The Gerudo smiled. "You remember the general under whose command Izanami had been killed…"

"…that general was me."

The End

Notes

I first encountered "The Adventure of a German Student" in "Short & Shivery"-a collection of spooky stories from around the world. It instantly became one of my favorites, an impressive feat considering my usual dislike for such tragic tales. The version you just read mostly stays true to the original storyline, though I did add a few details of my own invention…

In the original story, the specter was "hinted" to have been possessed by a nameless demon. Upon learning of Ganondorf's apparent immortality and invincibility; I decided that it made sense for the Death Goddess (whom I named for the Hebrew word for "death") to use the same soul-ensnaring ploy.

Washington Irving did not give his reanimated woman a name. I named mine after the ancient Japanese goddess of the underworld.

I originally planned to write this as a basic third-person story; but after going over it in my head a few times, I realized that it worked far better if I included the narrator in the story. Thus the frame story, with the Gerudo general and the inn, was born.

I chose the name "Red wolf Inn" in honor of both Link's shape shifting form in Twilight Princess and the student Wolfgang from the original story.


End file.
